EP1569532A2

EP1569532A2 - Additional filter for cigarettes

Info

Publication number: EP1569532A2
Application number: EP03758656A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michele Squeo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-09-18
Filing date: 2003-09-18
Publication date: 2005-09-07
Also published as: AU2003274691A8; ITRM20020148U1; WO2004026052A9; AU2003274691A1; WO2004026052A2; US20040050396A1; WO2004026052A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cigarette filtering device (1) characterised in that it is comprised of a cylinder (3) to be put over the standard filter of the cigarette, and of at least a filtering material element (2), put on one of the basis of the cylinder, and comprised of at least a filtering material.

Description

ADDITIONAL FILTER FOR CIGARETTES

The present invention relates to an additional filter for cigarettes. More specifically, the invention concerns to an additional filter for cigarettes by which a system is realised to hold condensed and nicotine not held by the filters already provided in the standard available cigarettes.

In the following, the specification will be given for the use on regular cigarettes, but it is to be understood how the same cannot be considered as limitative to this specific use. STATE OF THE ART

As it is well known, assuming nicotine is very serious for the health of the smoker. In fact, it has been demonstrated that smoking creates dependence to the use. Beside nicotine, often it is assumed also tar and condensed. These substances, with the passing of the time, can attack soft tissues of the lungs.

Furthermore, often, perplexities have been raised about measures stating nicotine and condensed values allowed in the cigarettes by the present laws. Said measures are obtained by sucking machines making slow sucking and long pauses without increasing the accumulation of residuum on the slides.

At present, cigarettes sold on the market are provided with a filter to limit the intaking of nicotine and condensed by the consumer. However, these filters do not filter in a uniform way the smoke crossing the same. On the contrary, due, for example, to the squeezing of the filter, smoke passes through preferential paths. This effect involves that smoke intaken is not completely or sufficiently filtered and therefore the smoker is obliged to adsorb a higher amount of nicotine and condensed. The above can be demonstrated observing that the filters of smoked cigarettes are not evenly "stained".

However, they are available on the market rigid material filters, typically plastic filters, that however have the drawback of the displacement of the incisive teeth, through which the consumer holds said filter while smoking. Furthermore, they are particularly unaesthetic and fastidious during the use. Further, these filtering means are multiuse, so that the filters are saturated by tar and other substances produced by the combustion of paper and tobacco, thus terminating their filtering function, and thus their health prophylaxis function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, it is well evident the need of having a disposable filter as the one suggested by the present invention, allowing to better filter in a cheap way the smoke inspired by the user.

It would be further suitable a cheap disposable system, that does not keep residuals and that can be used also for filter-free cigarettes. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is therefore that of providing a tool allowing to further filter the smoke inspired by the consumer, in such a way to limit the breathing in of nicotine and condensed. Another object of the invention is that of providing a disposable filter for smoking, that is cheap, not to raise the costs of the cigarettes.

Further object of the present invention is that of making the filter pleasant under an esthetical point of view. It is therefore specific object of the present invention a cigarette filtering device characterised in that it is comprised of a cylinder to be put over the standard filter of the cigarette, and of at least a filtering material element.

Always according to the invention, said cigarette filtering device provides a plurality of slots or openings on the cylinder wall.

Still according to the present invention, said at least one filtering material element is comprised of gauze or cotton.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, said at least one filtering material element is comprised of carbon. Still according to the present invention, said at least one filtering material element is comprised of salts.

Always according to the invention, the colour of said cylinder is identical to the colour of the standard filter already provided in the commercial cigarettes, thus making the filter pleasant and discreet.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, said cylinder, put on the standard filter of the cigarette, increases its consistency and thus makes it resistant to the compression due to the smoker lips. This makes unlikely the creation of preferential paths for the smoke flow inspired by the smoker.

Preferably, according to the present invention, said cylinder is comprised of paper.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, said cylinder is comprised of plastic.

Still according to the invention, said filter can be applied to filter-free cigarettes. The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows an embodiment of the additional filter for cigarettes; figure 2 shows the application mode of the filter on a cigarette; figure 3 shows a cigarette introduced within the filter, and figure 4 shows a rear perspective view of the cigarette additional filter.

In the various figures, similar parts will be indicated by the same numerical references.

To better understood the present invention, in the following the operation mode of the preferred embodiment of the additional filter for cigarettes will be described.

Making reference to figure 1 , it is noted additional filter 1 for cigarette, comprised by a filtering material element 2, for example made up of gauze or cotton, and by a cylinder 3, for example made up of paper, that can be of the same colour of the filters provided on the commercial cigarettes, in such a way that when the filter is put on the cigarette, it is not noted. Further, being the cylinder 3 made up of not stiff material, the above mentioned phenomenon of motion of incisive teeth is avoided.

Thanks to the additional filtering action obtained by the present invention, it is possible that the nicotine and condensed values that can be breathed in by the smokers, and provided by the laws, are more probably respected. Figure 2 shows the way in which the filter is applied on the cigarette 4. Particularly, beside the additional filter 1 , it can be noted the filtering material element 2 and the cylinder 3. Cigarette is introduced according to the direction A, introducing the filter within the cylinder 3.

Finally, figure 3 shows the cigarette 4 after the application of the additional filter 1 . Particularly, it can no more be viewed outside the filter of the cigarette 4, in fact it is completely covered by the cylinder 3 of the additional filter 1 . If cylinder 3 has the same colour of the standard filter of the cigarette, additional filter 1 is particularly pleasant and its use discreet. Furthermore, since cylinder juxtaposes on the standard filter of the cigarette, it is obtained that the total consistency of the point where the smoker lips are put is higher, thus making less probable the creation of preferential paths. In the figure, it can be further seen the filtering element 2.

Figure 4 shows the additional filter 1 for cigarette to which a plurality of slots 5 have been added on the lateral surface of the cilinder 3.

The solution according to the present invention, being inexpensive, further has the advantage of being directly applicable by the manufacturers during the production of the cigarette. Further, the additional filter described in the above can be easily removed by the smoker not wishing to use the same.

A further advantage obtained by the solution according to the present invention, that must be underlined is the possibility of reducing the mortality, the National Health Service expenses, e.g. for periods in bed and medicines, as well as the probability that the smokers suffer of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, papillary neoplasia, etc. The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

1 . Cigarette filtering device characterised in that it is comprised of a cylinder to be put over the standard filter of the cigarette, and of at least a filtering material element.

2. Cigarette filtering device according to claim 1 , characterised in that said it provides a plurality of slots or openings on the cylinder wall.

3. Cigarette filtering device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said at least one filtering material element is comprised of gauze.

4. Cigarette filtering device according to claim 1 , characterised in that said at least one filtering material element is comprised of cotton. 5. Cigarette filtering device according to claim 1 , characterised in that said at least one filtering material element is comprised of carbon.

6. Cigarette filtering device according to claim 1 , characterised in that said at least one filtering material element is comprised of salts.

7. Cigarette filtering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the colour of said cylinder is identical to the colour of the standard filter already provided in the commercial cigarettes. 8. Cigarette filtering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cylinder, put on the standard filter of the cigarette, increases its consistency and thus makes it resistant to the compression due to the smoker lips.

9. Cigarette filtering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cylinder is comprised of paper.

9. Cigarette filtering device according to one of the preceding claims 1 - 7, characterised in that said cylinder is comprised of plastic. 1 1 . Cigarette filtering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said filter can be applied during the manufacturing of the cigarettes.

12. Cigarette filtering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said filter can be applied to filter-free cigarettes.

13. Cigarette filtering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is disposable.

14. Cigarette filtering device according to each one of the preceding claims, substantially as illustrated and described.